GES committee to probe exam malpractice at Okomfo Anokye SHS

The Ashanti Regional Directorate of the Ghana Education Service (GES) has constituted a disciplinary committee to investigate two teachers implicated in the Okomfo Anokye Senior High School alleged exam malpractice.

The teachers were accosted by the police at the instance of the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) for allegedly using social network platform, Whatsapp, to assist students in the ongoing West Africa Senior School Certificate Examinations (WASSCE).

WAEC has since closed the exam center on the school’s premises in Wiamoase in the Sekyere South District of the Ashanti Region and directed that the school writes the rest of its papers at WAEC center in Kumasi. The school now bears the burden, cost and inconvenience of transporting students from the school to Kumasi to write their papers under strict invigilation and supervision.

The GES, after a meeting on Monday, tasked the Sekyere South District Education Office to probe the incident and submit its findings to the regional office in two weeks.

Ashanti Regional Public Relations Officer of the GES, Cassandra Twum Ampofo, who disclosed this to Ultimate Radio, stated that the committee begins its work on Thursday April 10.

Spelling out the mandate of the committee, she outlined, “The district disciplinary committee has been tasked to investigate the two teachers who were caught by WAEC officials and have been tasked to come out with their findings in two weeks”.

Meanwhile, the West Africa Examination Council has indicated that the students of Okomfo Anokye Senior High School risk having their examination results canceled if the alleged malpractice is substantiated.

Speaking to Ultimate Radio, its Public Relations Officer, Agnes Tei Cujoe said, “the Council has resolved that the students write the rest of their papers in the WAEC examination center while investigations go on”.

“We cannot cancel any results in the middle of the examination, but if after the exams, our investigations show that students entered the examination center with their mobile phones, then the entire results penalty will apply. So, even though we have the reports, actual sanctions will take place after the examinations,” she added.

WAEC at the beginning of this year’s examinations stated as part of its reviewed regulations that any student caught with a mobile phone in the exam hall would have their entire results cancelled, a shift from its previous policy where just the paper for which the offence was committed was affected.

Agnes Tei Cujoe, however, assured that due process would be followed to ensure that the issue is well investigated before any sanctions are applied.

A visit by Ultimate Radio to the WAEC Centre in Kumasi on Monday showed that about four buses from the school had arrived with students who were preparing to sit for the Literature paper accompanied by some teachers.

Ultimate Radio’s Joseph Oppong Brenya who attempted to speak to some of the students reports that their demeanor was that of anxiety, as they fear the results could be cancelled.